U.S. Senator Ashley Moody announced she is cosponsoring the Combating Illicit Xylazine Act. This legislation seeks to curb the illicit spread of xylazine by regulating it as a controlled substance, while ensuring veterinarians and animal-related programs can still access it for legitimate purposes.
Xylazine, also referred to as “tranq”, is a tranquilizer, central nervous system depressant, and pain reliever approved by the FDA for animal use only. Xylazine has rapidly spread in the illicit drug supply in recent years. Since 2020, its presence has increased five-fold in fentanyl tablets and three-fold in fentanyl powder. It is likely used as an adulterant by drug traffickers as it may increase profits by reducing the amount of fentanyl or heroin used in a mixture.
Xylazine can cause breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure to drop to severely dangerous levels. It is also associated with severe tissue damage such as necrosis (rotting of the skin and tissue) which can lead to amputation.
“As the former Florida attorney general, I was one of the first to warn Floridians about the dangers of xylazine—a dangerous substance intended for veterinary use for large animals, that is being found mixed in with illicit fentanyl powder… I’m proud to continue this fight in the U.S. Senate by cosponsoring the Combatting Xylazine Act...” Moody stated.
For more information, read Drug Free America Foundation’s Xylazine: What you Need to Know fact sheet.
Resources:
- https://flvoicenews.com/u-s-sen-ashley-moody-cosponsors-legislation-to-classify-xylazine-as-controlled-substance/
- https://nida.nih.gov/research-topics/xylazine#mind-body
- https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/2022-12/The%20Growing%20Threat%20of%20Xylazine%20and%20its%20Mixture%20with%20Illicit%20Drugs.pdf
